


Grieve alone, grieve together

by onefootintheboilinghotlava



Series: WW x Peggy Carter [1]
Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), Wonder Woman (2017)
Genre: Canon Death, Crossover, F/M, Female Friendship, Grieving, NOT fix-it, girl supporting girl, hurt/comfort?, well canon temporary death for both Steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-23
Updated: 2017-06-23
Packaged: 2018-11-17 11:39:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11274651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onefootintheboilinghotlava/pseuds/onefootintheboilinghotlava
Summary: As Diana was gathering her thoughts after the war was won and Steve was gone, a surprising stranger visited her...and maybe she'd gain a friend who can guide her in Men's world and share her sorrow.





	Grieve alone, grieve together

**Author's Note:**

> DO NOT ASK ME HOW PEGGY GOT BACK IN TIME. 
> 
> In my mind, I just throw her and the whole Cap story to WW1, okay? Because...I did entertain the idea of time-travel, but I don't think throwing Diana another shock would be something I wanna do to her right after Steve's gone? I know she is strong and all, but I just want Diana to have a soft...coming down? All I want is for Diana to have someone beside her, as a friend who would truly understand her. 
> 
> This Peggy is, if not obvious, post-war and pre-Sousa/pre-Agent Carter S1

Diana stood alone in Steve’s apartment. He never actually brought her there when he was…still around. They were too busy running around, talking to people and heading off to the war. She walked around the room, swiping through frames of photos and articles on the wall and gently flipping through a few files. Etta had told her that they would have to pack up his stuff and send it all back to his old place in a week or so, since no one would be staying at this place nor to pay the rent for it. There was a moment that Etta hesitated telling her about this and she felt like she wanted to stay in his place. However, she knew that she had no firm holding in Man’s world, at least not yet and not enough to stand on her own. Etta had generously offered to stay with her for a little longer, before taking her well-earned holiday to be back home and away from London. She was grateful for her offer, but she knew there was limited to what Etta could offer her and she needed to find her way on her own. She felt lost. As clear as she might have felt on the battlefield, knowing what her mission was, Steve’s sacrifice and her own renewed understanding of who she was both gave her anchor and distortion. Standing in the midst of everything Steve had left behind only made her wish to scream and cry until her mind could rest with the fact of his passing.

Just as she felt like she would allow herself to such relief, a knock alerted her. She turned around in caution, knowing Etta had her own keys and the rest of the group had already scattered. She made sure all her weapons were within reach and walked to answer the door. It swung open and revealed a lady dressed in a blue suit and a red hat. Her sharp eyes caught Diana’s attention.

‘Miss Prince, I believe?’ The lady asked as she put down her hat.

‘Who are you and why are you here?’ Diana asked, brows furrowing as few should be able to recognise her and her ‘pronounced’ name.

‘I’m Peggy Carter. An SSR agent of the American government…but I am not here for official business. May we move this discussion inside, Miss Prince?’

She contemplated for a moment before stepping backward and letting this Peggy Carter enter the room. They stood face to face in the middle of the room, and she simply folded her arms waiting for the stranger to state her reasons.

‘I am very sorry for your loss. The heroics of Mr. Trevor had certainly been recorded, however briefly and would be commentated. However, I believe with his passing, you and Doctor Poison were the only witness to what exactly happened at the facility. I was guessing you would be glad to know that she is currently in prison alone, serving her times for war crime. Still, I managed to…gather information from her about your…abilities, as well as heroics through the evens unfolding before the armistice was signed. Miss Prince, I’m intrigued and…maybe you’d be interested to talk to me.’

This was a first for Diana. No one she had met in Man’s world had talked with such subtlety yet keeping her sincerity true in every word. Though to be honest, she had not met any female who would talk to her in official and war-related business. She felt a dollop of infuriation with her every twist and turn of word, yet she could only find her being truthful at least on the surface.

‘Why would you think that I would be interested to talk to you…Miss Carter?’ Still, she cut straight to the point. She might understand the lady’s good intentions, straight-forward was still her way of dealings in Man’s world.

‘That would be a longer story that…may I sit down as a guest before I started explaining further? I know, or I assume that standing for a longer period of time would not be an inconvenience to you, but to us mortals it would be. Would you be so kind to let me stay for now, Miss Prince?’

Diana waved at the general direction of the couch, as she sat down on the armchair next to it herself. Half her mind was still wondering if Steve had often sat on the same chair, and the other half relaxing a little with Miss Carter’s presence. She knew if she attempted any form of attack, she was more than able to handle herself. Since most of the more important documents were already filed and organised in boxes in the other room, she did not think Miss Carter would be here to steal anything.

‘I would offer you tea, as it seems to be the custom here. Yet…I don’t think I’m familiar with the place to offer you such thing for the moment, Miss Carter. But please, make yourself comfortable.’

‘Thank you, Miss Prince. Call me Peggy please. Miss Carter sounds too formal when I am on my annual home visit.’

Peggy took a seat and leaned back to relax herself. Diana was a little surprised, as she was the only one she’d seen in Men’s world to relax so easily in front of her. She had learnt that women did not generally relax themselves in anyone else’s presence so far. Miss Carter…Peggy’s behaviour had also reminded her a little more of home, where all her people would act relaxed and comfortable with one another, unless they were in her mother’s court.

‘I am a British girl born and raised. As you might have learnt by now, most girls are expected to learn to be a good wife and get married off when they meet their…proper suitor. I was privileged enough to be in a family who encouraged me to pursue my interest and talents, especially my elder brother. It should be no surprise that he went to serve in the army during the war, as most men were in this country and more. He was diligent and brave that he was recognised by his seniors early on and somehow so much so that his seniors took notice of his recommendation of me to serve in the army as well. Obviously that had something to do with…oh it’s war and we need every man-power we could use. Still, I was lucky enough to raise to my rank in the army as a female…AND allowed to keep my position after the war. This is my final home visit before I head for the United States of America for my post-war position. Sorry if this all might not interest you, but I figure I better tell you my background to earn a little of your trust before I dive into more details. Actually…if you don’t mind, may I try to navigate my way in the kitchen for a cup of tea and maybe some for you as well? You should try a cup of proper English tea, Miss Prince.’

‘Sure…’ The word stuck in Diana’s throat. As much as Peggy had showed her no reason to distrust her, she was not sure how to feel about someone else touching Steve’s stuff. Peggy was none the wiser to see the hesitation in her eyes though.

‘If you would like, maybe I could tell you where to find the utensils and how to do it? Then I won’t need to touch Mr. Trevor’s possession and we might still enjoy some beverages?’

‘Thank you…Peggy.’ She finally graced her visitor with a true smile as she let Peggy head towards the kitchen first. She had been in the kitchen through the past few days, but since she was not sure where everything was and she was less prone to be hungry than mere human, she was still not too used with the kitchen set-up.

Peggy was swift with her instruction and Diana was nothing if not fast to catch on. There was a sense of calm with every word and motion of Peggy, which Diana guessed was necessary for a female to serve among a bunch of men. She also carried the vibe of action, a little bit like her Steve. She thought they would also be a good match, if the occasion ever arose for them to fight in the same battle side by side. In no time, a boiling hot pot of tea was set on the coffee table and the two ladies returned to their respective seats. Peggy took the first sip from her cup and Diana followed suit.

‘If this does not fit your taste, feel free to add sugar or milk.’ Diana pondered for a moment at the milk jar and poured just a little into her tea. Peggy, on the other hand, picked up one sugar cube with ease and dump it into her tea and stirred it in. The two sat in silence and drank tea for a few moment.

‘Thanks for teaching me about this. Though I am curious to why you came to me, it appears to me you are not someone who is afraid to ask for exactly what you want and yet so far you have not reached the point of what you would like from me.’ Sincerity and curiosity sept through her voice without a sense of accusation. Peggy couldn’t help herself but grin at Diana’s words, the woman really was who she thought she would be.

‘Cut to the point, I am here just because I would like your companion and maybe offer you to stay at my family home for a little while. Then, if you wanna, you can come with me to New York, or stay at my family place, since there’d be a spare room once I am gone. I just figure someone as you would need a place to start navigating in this world and I’d love to be the one that could offer you something. That’s why I started where I did because…you have to know about my family before accepting my invitation, right?’

Peggy certainly cut straight to the point, so far into it that had Diana half-startled and half-appreciative of her considerations.

‘How much exactly do you know about me, or Steve? That you’re willing to invite me to your home, Miss Peggy?’ To be honest, Peggy’s offer was more than tempting. Since she knew she needed a place to let herself settle, as much as she needed someone to guide her a little more in the ways of men and who better than a fellow female who also had experience dealing with wartime and men’s oppressive ways. Peggy would be a much better fit than Etta and she was offering her exactly what she would need. Still, she wanted to know just exactly why and…she still wanted to spend more time to dive into Steve’s possession before moving on. She wanted to know how the woman before her sees her before actually considering the offer, for she felt like she might be too lost to be of use to anyone else for this moment.

‘The reports of what happened to the little French town would have me believe that you are some sort of super-human that could…maybe not fly, but levitate as high as our planes could so far. Since your record is not on any of the Allied Powers, nor the ones we received from the Central Powers, my remaining rumour is that you are of Greek mythology’s descend. I believe that without your place of origin, Steve Trevor would not have gone out of that plane crash alive. So…I will be honest and say I would love to know where exactly are you from and who you are really, but even if you don’ want to say my offer still stands. Just because no one should be left alone like this, and I figure it’s better to have you as my acquaintance than my enemy someday.’

Peggy paused and took another sip of her tea, taking Diana’s scrutinising gaze in stride.

‘As for why I am willing to invite you…Bear with me, Miss Prince. Steve Trevor was not the only one who sacrificed himself to ensure the least casualty in this war. I’m sure you know the frontline you visited was not the only one, and Doctor Poison was not the only scientist that was invested in how to bring further destruction to the world. I do not feel proud to inform you that even our side was inventing serums, chemicals intending to bring more strength to our soldiers, in order to win the war. The project started with a scientist with good intention, but it caught the attention of our enemy and it was apparent that few can be trusted with the temptation of such power…At least I could tell you that the project is shut down and we managed to contain the enemy’s side’s knowledge about it… However, the person that took the experiment and became…a super-solder himself and paved way for our breakthrough of the German line also had to sacrifice himself to ensure everyone else’s safety. He…maybe he was our mortals’ attempt to have someone with abilities like you, but in the end it proved to be less significant than the politicians playing their cards right in courtrooms.’

Peggy leaned back on the couch, holding her hands together and sighed. Diana could understand, though not the thorough extent of it. In her brief time in Men’s world, Steve showed her enough of how men worked with politics and missing out the big picture. She finally got closer to why Peggy would think the two of them could relate to each other and sought her company somehow. She could observe from her posture that she was not done talking, so she waited, knowing it was a story required more mental efforts than usual. (Which…all war stories do)

‘I was…responsible for him, for Steve Rogers, the first and only soldier who gone through Project Rebirth. He sacrificed under a mission I was part of. Steve’s loss bears a personal meaning to me, than just the failure and necessary deaths in a war. So Miss Prince……I came here because I do not wish to be alone with my pain and loss. I want to believe thatyou would understand that kind of pain, of losing someone whom you’ve seen being more than brilliant, of losing a man called Steve.’

Diana was more than surprised, her Amazonian’s mind told her that the gods did not do coincidences without a purpose but that would not be the thing to focus on at the moment. She could see the sorrow behind Peggy’s eyes and words, sealed in the way her words were drawn out and eyes tired. It was the moment she was certain that this lady was someone she could count on, to understand her and listen to her without judgement. She could see a great friend in Peggy Carter, just as her instincts learnt from growing up in Themyscira with everyone. While she was lost in thoughts, Peggy took out a few pieces of folded-up papers from her suit pocket and handed it to her.

‘These…are some of the news back then about Steve Rogers. I’d bring you the official files of him and mine, but it’s all confidential and with the confines of the SSR now…But maybe you can ask Miss Etta if she could pull a few strings and check for some reports on what I’ve just told you.’ Peggy shrugged as nonchalantly as she could, as it was clear that the mention of Steve, another Steve caused her emotions to swing. Diana gently put her hand on her shoulder, attempted to show comfort for the other lady. They, once again, sat in silence for a longer while.

‘Thank you for sharing your story with me, Peggy.I am sorry for your loss.’ Diana spoke to break the silence.

‘It’s…it will be fine. Though I think it’d be best if I don’t overstay my welcome here today, definitely not in the best shape to be showing you around the city or explaining anything you might ask about, as you can see.’ Peggy tried for a lighter tone but there was no mistaken with her cheeks slightly wet.

‘Miss Peggy, I heard that it was impolite to force a guest to leave before they have finished the tea, so please feel welcome here until you finish it. I don’t mind your company at all.’ Diana tried to express her sincerity the best way she witnessed from Etta and just from Peggy, as a way to communicate with her in her own language. She knew she spoke the right thing, as Peggy glanced towards the empty cup but still warm teapot on the coffee table and smiled a little at her.

‘Very well then. I will stay until then.’

The two continued to sit in silence. Diana picked up the papers and started reading them, while Peggy continued to drink in her emotions.

**Author's Note:**

> Edit 2018/08/12: I am currently re-editing this and fixing it up to make more sense for later parts (if I could finish them) so some changes will appear and the main idea should be the same.
> 
> Edit 2017/07/28: I'm definitely working on the sequel, but I have to finish one or two more fics (that'll be less than 10k) before I come back to finish it, so...I hope you guys can wait out a little longer >< THANKS for the comments you guys left, I'm just really glad that i got to write this piece for you guys to enjoy <3 Peggy and Diana are two of my faves that I'll always wanna write about, so I'll make sure the sequel comes out for this, so you guys can see how their friendship grow!!! <3
> 
> Wow you read through this...Thank you!!! I hope I did the two female characters fair enough, let me know what you think! Because I love love love Peggy and Diana and I am so afraid of not doing these two amazing characters justice in my writings. So...let me know if you have some constructive comments for that? Anyhow, thank you for bearing with me and I hope you at least enjoy a bit from my writing :)  
> P.S. If you're interested in more, COMMENT BELOW. I do WISH to make this longer and write about how Peggy brings Diana around London or telling him about ridiculous men from work, or even bringing Diana to the States with her, but I cannot promise you guys anything right now. So...if you really want more, comment below to motivate me a little? Maybe? I just like seeing them supporting each other and stuff. So ramble done.


End file.
